Siarhei Besarab · CC BY-SA 4.0Mate
ka'a (yerba)
The same yerba as tereré, with hot water: the companion of cool mornings and winter.
What it is
It is prepared in a mate gourd or guampa with yerba mate and hot (not boiling) water poured from a thermos; it is drunk bitter or sweet, plain or with herbs. In Paraguay tereré rules the day and the heat, but hot mate appears on cool mornings and in winter. At afternoon snack time people also drink mate cocido (brewed mate) with milk, sometimes with grated coconut, alongside chipa or something sweet.
Ingredients
History
Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is native to the region and the Guaraní drank it before the conquest; the Jesuit missions cultivated and traded it. Bella Vista, in Itapúa, is one of the country’s yerba mate centers and welcomes visitors at its producers.
Did you know…?
Bella Vista is home to the Mate Bar, a café devoted to yerba mate in every form, from cocido to fruity tererés.
When
Cool mornings and winter.
Where
Nationwide; the Bella Vista yerba mate route (Itapúa).
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.